These games completely trumped their genre rivals.
Making a video game that's both critically and commercially successful is basically the work of Hercules, especially when the genre is already loaded with well-known blockbuster titles.
No matter how good a new game is, if there are only a limited number of games for players to actively participate in, there's no guarantee it will find an audience and be successful.
It goes without saying that, therefore, new games attempting to compete with existing franchises are often placed with lofty and perhaps unreasonable expectations, including killing off the current champion of the genre.
We've all heard the stories of countless games that were positioned to kill off the most successful titles in their respective genres, only to end up disappointing and quickly be forgotten.
But not many killer films have actually managed to do “that thing” – enter the market, dethrone a reigning franchise, and take their place as the new best entry.
This is rare, because it's so difficult, but all of these games overcame enormous obstacles to stand out from the competition and become standout titles that have become synonymous with their genre…
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
It's no exaggeration to say that the Call of Duty series not only stole Medal of Honor's lunch, but also its breakfast and dinner, leaving the once unparalleled FPS series emaciated and hungry for leftovers.
In the early to mid-2000s, Medal of Honor of The military shooter franchise has enjoyed huge success, especially with the popularity of 2002's iconic Medal of Honor: Allied Assault.
However, key members of the Allied Assault team soon left to form their own company, Infinity Ward, which released Call of Duty the following year. During development, he was given the internal nickname “MOH Killer.”
While the first three Call of Duty games were well-received, they didn't seem to make a huge dent in Medal of Honor's market share.
But that all changed with the launch of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in 2007. In addition to its fresh modern-day setting, Modern Warfare boasted a thrilling, cinematic campaign never before seen in a military FPS, and an incredible multiplayer suite bolstered by a wickedly addictive progression system.
Granted, Medal of Honor had already had its brand power diluted by a few mediocre releases at this point, but it was painfully clear by the time the realistic reboot in 2010 flopped both critically and commercially that the series had essentially become irrelevant.
The last mainline non-VR Medal of Honor game came out in 2012, but Call of Duty has been a huge commercial hit since the launch of Modern Warfare.
